Monday, December 22, 2008

Christmas at Holy Rosary Church, Portland OR

I have just received notice of the principal Masses and music for Christmas at Holy Rosary Dominican Parish, 375 N.E. Clackamas Street, Portland, Oregon 97232 (503-235-3163). Readers in the Portland Area may wish to attend these Masses.

CHRISTMAS MIDNIGHT MASS (Ordinary Form)

On Christmas Eve at 11:30 P.M. the boys, girls and adults of Cantores in Ecclesia will sing traditional carols, accompanied by organ and small string orchestra. At Midnight the choir will sing Missa O Magnum Mysterium by Tomas Luis de Victoria and the Gregorian Chant Propers.

CHRISTMAS DAY MASS (Missa Cantata in the Dominican Rite)

Christmas Day, the adults of Cantores in Ecclesia will sing the Christmas Proper from William Bryd's second book of Gradualia for a Missa Cantata according to the Dominican Rite. The Dominican Propers will include the Sequence Laetabundus.

When Bryd published his second book of Gradualia, dedicated to his friend and patron Sir John Petre, he gave the Christmas music the place of honor at the very beginning. He had celebrated the winter holidays many times with the Petre family: Their household records show that 'Mr. Byrde' was supplied with meals, seasonal gifts, warm bedding, and the company of 'five Musitians of London for playenge upon the vyolins at Ingatestone in ye Christmas tyme'.

The Mass for Christmas appears to have been his first attempt at writing seasonal music of this sort. Given his habit of spending the holiday with patrons and fellow-musicians, it was a logical place to start. The music shows some signs of experimentation: vocal ranges and keys lurch around somewhat unpredictably, and Bryd seems not yet to have arrived at his principle of setting each text only once and cross-referencing it as needed. (This rewards the singers with two versions of Viderunt omnes, the second even lovelier than the first.) Byrd also decided, just this once, to follow a much older tradition and start by quoting the Gregorian chant melody for the day. His introit Puer natus begins with the triumphant rising figure that announces 'unto us a Child is born'.

4 comments:

off topic re: the post, but I have a question about dominican liturgy and this seems to be the place for it: do dominican sisters / nuns have the faculties to formally preach (either a homily or other liturgical meditation)? I am prompted to ask because, well, they are the order of Preachers, and because of the Christmas Eve post (Jesus is our Joy) on monialesop.blogspot.com. This seems to be a very faithful, orthodox convent (rather than a pant-suit women's ordination hive), yet there was mention of a novice delivering the homily, so I thought I'd ask.

The nuns of Summit are indeed a very good group with healthy numbers and constant new vocations. I serious doubt that they would engage any liturgical infraction.

It is, in fact, traditional (as in all houses of nuns) for the prioress to preach to her sisters during chapters and at other functions of the nuns outside of Mass and office. She and other suitable sisters give spiritual talks as well. Loosely these might be called "sermons" or "homilies."

Actually the limiting of preaching to the ordained applies only to the homilies after the Gospel at Mass. Since the introduction of the New Mass in 1970 this sermon is considered an integral part of the Sacramental Rite of the Eucharist and so is properly done only by the celebrant or the deacon of the Mass.

There is no restriction on who may give a sermon outside of Mass, even during Office. Perhaps this homily was given during Vespers.